Emergency training offered in Calabasa

In a continuing effort to prepare the community for an emergency, the city of Calabasas will offer an emergency preparedness training course beginning Tues., May 23. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials will serve as instructors.

Calabasas residents have always taken emergency response seriously, such as in September when the Topanga Fire threatened the city's borders. The city posted all fire news immediately on CTV, in e-newsletters and on its website at www.cityofcalabasas.com.

"(We had a) website that was complimented by NBC News in New York all the way to the assistant to the governor," said City Councilmember Barry Grove-man, who was mayor at the time. "They made it their point to tell me that everybody in the area was relying on the Calabasas website for information."

Another example of the city's preparedness was the formation of the Calabasas Emergency Response Program, a volunteer team that began in 1994 as a response to the Northridge earthquake. The program, consisting of more than 200 volunteers including medical representatives, helps residents prepare for and survive a major disaster.

"Being prepared is your responsibility," said Debbie Larson, a Calabasas risk management analyst. "(The upcoming training course) is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation."

The eight-week emergency preparedness training course begins Tues., May 23 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center at 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas. Additional class dates include May 30, June 6, 13, 20 and 27, and July 11 and 18.

Sessions will cover disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster psychology, terrorism and medical treatment.

At the end of the course, participants will put their skills to the test by responding to a simulated large-scale incident.

To learn more about the program or to sign up, call Debbie Larson at (818) 878-4225, ext. 294, or e-mail her at dlarson@ cityofcalabasas.com; or call Maria Grycan, Los Angeles County Fire Department community services representative, at (310) 456-7923, or e-mail her at mgrycan@ lacofd.org.

-Michael Picarella